Category Archives: Written Work

The Point

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I’ve discussed many times over the years that I don’t believe you need a date on the calendar in order to make meaningful changes in your life. If you chose to change and stick with it, the change will happen.

I picked up an idea during that time when everyone else is making resolutions. It was the D23 challenge – create one room per day during 2023 and by the end of the year have a 360+ room mega dungeon. I don’t do resolutions, but I do D&D so this caught me.

UPDATE

I’m happy to report that things are going strong. I decided rather than a dungeon room I’d create a building in the Free City of Lithia for my world building. Here we are in the middle of February and I’ve got more than 40 buildings in my sketchbook… and that’s the point of the whole exercise. I haven’t gone to any great lengths, nor have I significantly changed my schedule. I have just grabbed my sketchbook and plopped a single thing each day in there. It takes 5 minutes or less (generally) and that’s it. Sure, there’s lots more development to be done on all these locations, but I *have* all those locations now.

Make a change and stick with it. Keep on creating! Day after day and you will see results!

Some entries are more detailed than others.

Flash Prompt – The Doorway

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artist: Douglas Murakami – https://www.artstation.com/dougmurakami

It was a warm day, but not a hot one. Carrying the bag of tools, the mapping equipment and the supplies was an effort, but not an extraordinary one. The quest had almost become routine. Almost.

Endless searching. They couldn’t say that anymore. They’d finally found it.

Now they could step through.

Squeezing

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I have come to discover that writing in any form is a struggle. Yes, I know – all the writers and creative types I know just collectively said “duh”. I get it, but sometimes saying it (or typing it) helps with the reality of making a change.

I am a writer that runs on inspiration. Long haul work is extremely difficult doing that, and finishing something the size and scope of a novel is exactly that – a long haul. I suck at that.

I’ve been chipping away at the edges of writing for many years, but what I have been doing is clearly not working, nor is it getting me the result I desire. I need to finish more, but in order to finish more I need to actually create more. I can’t sit and wait for inspiration or the ever elusive (thought to be mythical) ‘free time’.

So – I’m going to be squeezing things in. Maybe the edits won’t be great. There will be grammar and spelling issues. I can’t edit if it’s not created. The secret story in my head will never go anywhere without trying to record it in some form.

There you go – I squoze it myself.

Failure – sort of

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As a writer one comes to understand that the words laid out may, or may not, find a home. Sometimes the moment of inspiration that hits amuses or delights you but fails to connect with anyone else. It happens. Keep writing, keep putting words together and hoping to not just turn them into salad.

Some time ago I saw a call for submissions to a ‘course catalog’ for a horror based university. As stated above, it amused me and I had sudden inspiration. My submission was rejected (without any real notice) and that’s just fine.

I was bumping around that aforementioned debris pile that is my notes on writing and found that submission. It’s never going to be publishable anywhere else – so I’ll drop it out for you here. Hopefully you’ll find them amusing too.

From the course catalog:

Established in 1613 by academic and occult pioneer, as well as failed vintner, Fenrick Oglebutt, through trans-chronological fallacies and a lust for knowledge, Nafallen University has become one of the foremost centers of learning on all matters from the mundane to the mythic.

Located in beautifully desiccated Crisp, Texas, Nafallen University is dedicated to bringing its students the best in education, career opportunities, and fulfilling student lives from any university in current existence.

Nafallen University offers a hands-on and practical approach to education, with in-person, virtual, and astral courses offered at all levels of degree tracks.

Within this tome, enterprising students who wish to expand their minds and power will find courses offered for the current semester. Course descriptions are provided by the professors themselves, ensuring an honest appraisal of the material.

Here are the courses I submitted. I think they would have been a fine addition.

School of Architecture

ARC 212 – MASONRY II

PREREQUISITE: Poe; Amontillado

Gain additional skills and practical knowledge of masonry wall systems. Active interpretations of heat applied flashing, mortar selection and weep vent installation. Gain knowledge of residential construction inspection timing, effects of climate on drying time and STC (sound transmission classification).

Purchase of additional materials may be required.

ARC 135 – ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND GRAPHICS

Explore the fundamental issues of spaces, perception of spaces, scale and habitation. Emphasis is placed on ordering principles, pattern recognition and figure ground relationships. Build on graphical representation with an emphasis on observational symbology, aesthetic color choices and drawing presentation.

STR 301 – ADVANCED STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS: ALLOWABLE STRESS DESIGN

Prerequisite: Euclidean Geometry, Plasticity

Combine classical thermodynamics with plasticity and high yield functions. Allow the numbers to flow and discover numerical dissipation and pliability factors. Blocking, buckling, transient and steady state response combined with temperature creep. Emphasis on temporal stability and consistency. Galerkin meshfree imposition of boundaries and domain limits explored. Calculate how much your structure may flex under varied circumstances.

Working

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Writing is work. Writing has its own momentum, and its own weight. Sometimes that weight doesn’t get carried along when other things get too heavy.

As part of what seems to be the cycle here, I’ve been away doing all the things and my writing has languished. There are a series of things I have planned to write, and all the notes are laying about on my desk, scattered like fallen leaves. I’m hoping to rake them up and turn them into a pile of something, but even my rudimentary knowledge of plants understand that means mulch…

So, back to work. Hoping for more posts, but depending on that ever elusive ‘free time’ that never seems to be actually free, nor arriving in great quantities.

Is this that stupid ‘supply chain’ thing everyone goes on and on about?

Flash Prompt – The Light

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artist: Sandara Tang - https://www.artstation.com/sandara
Artist: Sandara Tang – https://www.artstation.com/sandara

Was there danger? Of course there was danger. There was always danger, but the sins of my past made it worth the risk. I climbed. I reached. I was dizzy with the pheromones of death floating around me. I had tunnel vision. I could see the light. I moved toward the light. I reached for the light. The light so bright. The light so beautiful. Sinking forever into the dazzling light.

The scorching, raging pain of burning myself reaching for that beauty. I fell. I am scarred.

I will reach again.

Flash Prompt – Queen of Chains

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artist: Lorenzo Mastroianni – https://www.artstation.com/lorenzomastroianni

My children we must persist. Our road is long, our way winding and difficult. No matter the cost, we will pay.

The Circle may stand against us. The Weavers seek to undo our works. We will break his chains despite our opposition. The world will shake and sunder. We are the coming of the truth.

We shall not bend. We shall not yield. The cursed ground shall not hold us. Death will not stop us. We are bound to free him. We are bound to save him. His chains become our weight, and we shall bear it.

Carry the light of the secret moon with you. The Crimson Crescent shall win out. The Chained God shall be free, and with him, so shall we all.